Answer: The size
of the system depends on a few factors. The key factor is your
yearly kilowatt hour usage. You can get that figure from adding
up all your kWh use per month if you happen to save your bills,
or you can get it from the internet. Just Google your utility
company, bring up your utility company and put in your account
number. They will give you a two year history of kWh usage. Your
yearly kWh figure can then be divided by a magic number to
ultimately arrive at the number of kilowatts of photovoltaic
power you will need to power your whole load. The other two
factors are your geographic location (i.e. San Diego, California
is a bit more sunny than say, Binghamton, NY), and the size of
your roof or a sunny area near the house to put your panels. The
magic number has to do with the number of full sun hours per
year in your geographic location times the average efficiency of
the entire system.

Can I run my whole house with solar
panels?

Answer: Yes.
Average households use between 5,000 and 10,000 kilowatt hours
per year. A 5,000 watt system will cover an area of
approximately 450 square feet (15 X 30). A 10,000 watt system
will cover twice that. A 5,000 watt system in Binghamton, NY
will produce 5,601 kWh of energy per year. This is enough to run
an average household and will fit on a average roof.

Can I get a really big system to sell
back more energy to the utility company?

Answer: No. Most
utility companies will only allow you a maximum amount of
photovoltaics that they will "net meter" or pay you for the
excess energy you produce above and beyond your own usage. Also,
in New York State in order to receive incentives to install your
system you cannot exceed 110% of your historical kWh usage.

What about snow?

Answer: The
panels won't produce when they are covered in snow. The good
news is that they are extremely slippery and the snow slides off
very easily. If there is a small corner of the panel exposed, it
will create heat and a film of water will develop under the snow
facilitating the snow removal.

How do I get started?

Answer: You can start by simply filling out
this
questionnaire to see if you are
eligible to become energy independent with solar power.

How long will it take to have a system
up and running?

Answer: Generally
it takes 14 to 16 weeks from the signature on the contract to
flipping the on switch. The actual installation may take
anywhere from three to five days. The long lead times center
around paperwork and inspections.

Is there enough sun in the Northeast to
make a system worth it?

Answer: Binghamton gets 73% of the sun that San Diego, California
gets. There is plenty of sun to go around.

Can I heat with photovoltaic panels if
I heat with electricity?

Answer: Not the
best application. Converting electricity to heating is an
expensive way to use electricity. Try a ground source heat pump!

Solar Power
Questionnaire:

The
demand for solar energy systems is growing quickly.
To see
if you qualify for incentives and tax credits on solar energy
simply fill out the form below and click submit. Thank you!

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